MEDUSA
Moon, Jennah. “Medusa with the Head of Perseus”, 2008, The New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/13/arts/design/medusa-statue-manhattan.html
Patrick Kovis
Medusa with the Head of Perseus is a statue that portrays a reversal of the classical myth of Medusa, echoing previous art pieces based on the myth. The art piece seeks to cast the tale in Medusa’s favor and contains many similarities and interesting differences when compared to the story of Perseus and the Head of Medusa. In the traditional story of Medusa, she is at first a beautiful woman turned into a gorgon by Athena after she is discovered being violated by Poseidon within Athena’s temple. Through this creation, she is the only one of the three Gorgons who is mortal (Morford and Lenardon, 534). All three of the Gorgons can turn mortals who gaze into their eyes to stone, but this ability is most famously attributed to Medusa. (Morford and Lenardon, 534). Finally, Perseus, a son of Zeus, kills Medusa by looking at her reflection through a bronze shield and sneaking up on her while the Gorgons slept (Morford and Lenardon, 534). He was aided in this by Athena, who acted as his guide (Morford and Lenardon, 534). After Perseus cuts off Medusa’s head, he proceeds to use it as a weapon on his remaining quests, turning his enemies to stone as she once did.
The myth of Medusa has been a major source of inspiration for art since the myth’s inception, such as Perseus with the Head of Medusa. Perseus with the Head of Medusa, sculpted by Benvenuto Cellini in the 16th century, depicts Perseus standing triumphantly over the body of Medusa, sword in hand, holding the head of Medusa in victory (Davidson). In this modern piece, Medusa with the Head of Perseus, Medusa is portrayed holding the head of Perseus. The sculptor, Luciano Garbati, an Argentine man who grew up in Italy seeing the original sculpture in Florence, often wondered why the woman who had been violated was portrayed as a monster (artincontext). Garbati decided to make his own version that would reflect the contemporary reactionary perspective, Medusa victorious over Perseus, able to take some justice (artincontext).
The piece is styled very similarly to the original statue made by Cellini, and in doing so Garbati manages to call back the mythic aura that surrounds the tale as well as the classical/renaissance feel that Cellini gives his statue. The statues have many similarities in their actors; both statues depict the victor of the battle standing, holding the decapitated head of their enemy in one hand and their sword in the other. Interestingly enough, the similarities between the statues end here. Where Perseus is victorious, he holds the head of Medusa high above his own, showing the significance of its “capture”. This foreshadows to the audience its future use as a weapon and a resource. Additionally, Perseus stands over the corpse of Medusa in the statue, and his sword is not held at the ready, just off to the side. He is relaxed and triumphant. Confidence exudes from the marble. On the contrary, when Medusa is victorious, Perseus’ head is held down at her side. She does not stand over his body, and Medusa holds her sword down at her side in a far more active grip. Medusa does not appear triumphant, but serious. Medusa seems to be present at the battle, but she does not hoist Perseus’ head in victory. For her, she is claiming some justice, for Perseus, he is claiming a resource.
With this understanding, it makes sense that Medusa with the Head of Perseus would be claimed by feminists as a powerful object to speak out against oppression. The way that Medusa is treated in the story of her own violation is a powerful reminder of the way that the Greeks and many other people treated acts of sexual violence. Medusa was a victim who was blamed and punished, and Garbati uses not only the actual battle between Perseus and Medusa, but also the body language at the outcome to give Medusa back her agency and to show that her struggle was not for some heroic quest or to conquer: it was for survival.
Sai Prakash
This sculpture, Medusa with the Head of Perseus by Luciano Garbati, gives us a powerful retelling of classical mythology. Instead of Perseus standing victorious over a slain Medusa, as we see in many traditional portrayals like Benvenuto Cellini’s famous Renaissance sculpture, this piece instead shows Medusa successful, holding the severed head of her killer. But there is no arrogance of conquest in her stance. Her posture is calm, and her gaze is distant. The sword in her hand is a symbol of burden rather than of victory. This modern reinterpretation reconsiders the story we have been told for centuries and challenges us to see it through a new lens. A lens that is modern, and captures the essence of feminism and what has been taken away from Medusa.
In ancient myth, Medusa is cast as a monster. That holds true even today; every year, Medusa stays a popular Halloween costume, often used to symbolize danger or seduction. She is remembered as a woman who could turn men to stone and was ultimately defeated by a hero. But this sculpture makes us remember what came before that narrative. As described in Classical Mythology (Morford et al., 2023), Medusa was originally a beautiful maiden who was attacked by Poseidon in Athena’s temple (p. 246). Rather than punishing the god, Athena punished Medusa, transforming her into a Gorgon whose eyes could turn men to stone. With just a simple gaze, any man who approached her was immediately turned into a structure. This goes to show that her monstrous characteristics are not natural and do not come from within her, but actually were imposed on her by the Gods. It’s a divine curse that was the outcome of a violation. Garabati’s sculpture gives power to Medusa. It gives back her autonomy and dignity. She is not being hunted here, she holds control of her own fate. The power that she has is painful to her, however, and that is depicted in the way her stance is. Her calmness represents grief rather than confidence of what she is and the power she holds. This speaks to what we have discussed in lecture about mythological monsters, especially in Lesson 3. They often stand to symbolize social anxieties, particularly around gender and power. Medusa, as a woman punished for her beauty, represents a society that feared female autonomy.
To me, this piece shows how myth can evolve and grow with culture over time. Ancient stories punished women for the very traits that they were admired for including beauty, sexuality, independence. I actually find this theme common in other parts of the world or in other ancient myths. From my own knowledge, I know that in India, some of the strongest Gods were women - the goddess of education, the goddess of beauty, the goddess of success… but these same women were often needing saving from men. It just doesn’t add up when we think about how strong these women can be on their own, but are always hidden away in the shadows of a strong man. But, here, this sculpture completely reframes that narrative. It’s Medusa’s story. She is empowered, and she is reclaiming her life. It lets the viewers think more deeply about the story that was written and passed along compared to the story that should have been told instead.
WORKS CITED:
Artincontext. “Medusa with the Head of Perseus - a Fresh Take on the Perseus Statue.” Artincontext.org, 17 Oct. 2021, artincontext.org/medusa-with-the-head-of-perseus/.
Davidson, Lucy. ““Perseus with the Head of Medusa”: Cellini’s Florentine Masterpiece.” History Hit, 20 Apr. 2022, www.historyhit.com/culture/perseus-with-the-head-of-medusa-a-florentine-masterpiece/.
Morford, Mark, Robert J. Lenardon, and Michael Sham. Classical Mythology. 12th ed., Oxford University Press, 2023.
Mai, Katherine. “What Does It Take to Feel Sympathy for a Monster?” Medium, 12 Oct. 2020, https://medium.com/paperkin/what-does-it-take-to-feel-sympathy-for-a-monster-3f88a2727b0c.
Padilla, Mark. “Medusa in Ancient Greek Art.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2022, https://www.metmuseum.org/essays/medusa-in-ancient-greek-art.